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THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1976
CENTRAL ISED SUBSIDY ENTITLEMENT REGISTRATION SYSTEM PROPOSED
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A SINGLE CENTRALISED SYSTEM OF MEANS TESTS FOR PERSONS RECEIVING GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES WAS ADVOCATED BY THE HON. T.S. LO IN HIS SPEECH BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT COULD NET ABOUT $85 MILLION BY PERMITTING HIRE CARS TO OBTAIN TAXI LICENCES AT A COST OF $66,000 EACH.
SPEAKING ABOUT SUBSIDY ENTITLEMENT. MR. LO SAID THAT THERE WERE NO LESS THAN FIVE DIFFERENT FORMULAS FOR MEANS TESTS NOW BEING USED BY VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, AND THIS WAS +SOCIALLY UNJUST AND POLITICALLY UNWISE.+.
HE ASKED IF IT WERE SOCIAL JUSTICES FOR THE RICH TO PAY THE SAME AS THE POOR FOR, SAY, UNIVERSITY EDUCATION. HE ALSO SAID IT WAS POLITICALLY UNWISE FOR HOUSING PROGRAMMES TO BE DELAYED BY RENTS NOT COVERING COSTS AND BEING TOO HIGH FOR THE POOR AND TOO LOW FOR THE BETTER OFF.
HE URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO DO A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON A CENTRALISED AND GRADED SUBSIDY ENTITLEMENT REGISTRATION SYSTEM. THE INITIAL COST OF SUCH A SYSTEM. MIGHT BE QUITE HIGH+ BUT THE ANNUAL RUNNING COST WOULD BE +COMPARATIVELY LOW.
TURNING TO HIRE CARS, MR. LO SAID THEY LOOK LIKE TAXIS, HAVE METERS LIKE TAXIS, PICK CUSTOMERS OFF THE STREETS LIKE TAX IS AND FOR ALL PRACTICAL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, THEY ARE TAXIS+. +THE ONLY DIFFERENCE,+ HE WENT ON, +IŠ THAT WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS ILLEGAL.
HE SUGGESTED THAT THEY BE GIVEN A CHANCE TO TURN LEGAL BY BEING OFFERED TAXI LICENCES AT A COST OF, SAY, $66,000 EACH. AS TAXI LICENCES WERE NOW CHANGING HANDS UNOFFICIALLY AT $158,000, HIRE CAR OWNERS +WOULD NOT OBJECT UNDULY TO THE CONVERSION FEE+, AND THE GOVERNMENT WOULD GAIN $85 MILLION *WITHOUT ANYONE SHEDDING ANY TEARS AT ALL.+
MR. LO BEGAN HIS ADDRESS BY SAYING THAT ALL THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY HAD SAID, IF ONE STRIPPED HIS SPEECH OF ITS METHODOLOGY, WAS THAT WHILST THE GOVERNMENT IS MINDFUL OF ITS DUTY TO FORGE AHEAD WITH ITS STATED SOCIAL PROGRAMMES, IT CANNOT EXCEED THE NATURAL LIMITS OF HONG KONG'S FISCAL POTENTIAL
IT CANNOT GO OUTSIDE OUR NATURAL EQUATION.+ THIS WAS +OBVIOUSLY RIGHT+ AND IT WAS THEREFORE +CLEARLY VITAL+ TO ENSURE THAT OUR RESOURCES WERE PUT TO BEST USE.
/REFERRING